


Bliss

by chasingtheskyline



Category: The Fall (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 11:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6004228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingtheskyline/pseuds/chasingtheskyline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some slices of Stella and Tanya's Valentine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bliss

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for this fandom. I don't know how good it is, but I think it's cute, so I hope people like it.

A damp wind fluttered the curtains, a soft ray of rising sun playing with a couple of dust particles before being engulfed again by clouds. An alarm clock began to beep with the kind of shrill, raucous insistence that natural phenomena didn’t, and within moments a body stirred in the bed, nearly smothered by a snowy white duvet.

 Stella Gibson turned the clock off with a calculated click of the switch and turned onto her side, staring lovingly at the groggy face next to her. “Darling...”

 Tanya Reed Smith began to smile, eyes still closed. She groaned, attempting to bash Stella over the head with a pillow and missing entirely. “Go back to bed. It's Sunday.”

 “Spector’s solicitor wants more evidence. He called last night asking for Rose’s interview tape and a detailed transcript. I told him to fuck off, I wasn't helping him that late.” Stella smirked, closing her eyes slightly as Tanya put a hand on her shoulder, leaning into the touch, “And I have half a mind to do so again. I’ll come back when I’m finished.”

 She opened her eyes and got up, meandering slowly, as if hoping for something to call her back but simultaneously driven by the knowledge that something wouldn't. The door was within reach. About to resign herself to her fate, she froze and put her head to her hand, her face contorting into something half smile, half grimace. “Fuck.”

 “What’s wrong?”

 Stella made a beeline for her phone. Her face softened ever so slightly before she hit ‘talk’, glancing up at her girlfriend. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

 “Mr Bacon, I can’t get the interview. The hard copy is at the station, and DS Anderson has the digital. If it's urgent, please contact him, sir.” Tom had broken personal ties with Stella eight months ago, after he and Paul Spector were shot. He seemed to hold some resentment towards her for the incident. Why, there were multiple possibilities.

 Tanya was listening intently, and could hear Mr Bacon shouting on the other line.

 “No, sir. Good morning.” And without another word, she hung up. “Seems like I have no other obligations today.”

 “I’m gonna stay awake, snatch all the time I can get now that you've woken me up.” Tanya got out of bed, slipping on a cotton robe over her nightgown. “ _So,_ coffee?”

 “That’d be nice, thanks.”

 

When Stella came downstairs a few minutes later, two mugs were on the coffee table and Tanya was flipping through Netflix. “I added one sugar, no cream,” Tanya said, pausing at a movie for a second, then moving on. _“To Catch a Thief?”_

 “My least favorite movie. Well, aside from _High Society.”_

 “ _Sabrina?”_

 “Too male.”

 “ _Playing By Heart?_ That's more recent.”

 “Too tragic.”

 “But Meredith is so sweet! She looks like you.”

 Stella took the remote and flicked on _Sabrina_ , plopping down beside Tanya and taking a sip of her coffee. “All right. If you squint it's about a woman looking to improve herself, and I know how much you like Humphrey Bogart.”

 Tanya laughed quietly to herself as establishing shots of Paris flashed onscreen. She definitely did like Bogart, but judging by the way Stella was looking at Audrey Hepburn that wasn't why this movie was chosen. “Hey! Easy there, ladykiller. She's not _that_ great.”

 Stella turned to look at her, inhaling sharply in amusement. “You jealous?”

 “Of course not. She’s definitely not as great as me.” Tanya pursed her lips as Stella went in for a peck. “I love you.”

 “Love you, too.”

  
The kitchen table was almost as covered in flour as Tanya’s children, who delighted in helping roll out linzer biscuits. Aluminum cutters at her disposal, Priya formed her sheet of dough into hearts and stars, making absolutely certain there was an even number of each. “The hearts are for Mum, and the stars are for Stella,” she told Jenna, who was reaching up to cut flowers and ruffled circles she could barely see, “and the ones you’re making are for us.”

 “Well, what if I want one that isn't a star?” Stella asked. “They're all so nice, you're doing such a good job.”

 “You can’t.” Jenna said in her small voice, rather liking the idea.

 “Oh, really? That’s a shame, then.”

 Stella moved over to the plate of biscuits that were already baked and filled with raspberry jam, snatching one of Tanya’s and shoving it in her mouth whole. She strutted back victorious, finally swallowing when her hand found her girlfriend’s. Jenna looked slightly shocked that she could be disobeyed, too gobsmacked to protest. Tanya simply grinned, putting her other hand over her mouth to hide her blush in response to Stella’s teasing eyes.

Priya broke the moment’s pause, giggling at the joke. “She stole Mum’s heart.”

 Tanya nodded, touching Stella’s cheek. “You did take more than baked goods, but I’m not complaining.”

  
“It’s not much, but I got you a few things.” Tanya sounded a bit nervous, for what reason Stella couldn't discern. She rushed to the garage, where the gifts were hidden. A minute later, she returned with a bouquet and a box of artfully painted truffles.

 The bouquet was an array of yellow and red and white striped tulips, artfully put together by the florist. Stella’s mind moved quickly in the instant that followed, referencing everything she'd ever read about the antiquated yet ever so romantic language flowers spoke. Finally deciding on a meaning, she let out a gasp. “Thank you.”

 Tanya relaxed as Stella put a hand on the small of her back. “I’m glad you like it. You do have lovely eyes, and being in your life makes me so happy--”

 “Shhh...” Stella silenced her, just a fraction closer than before. “Why wouldn't I like it? I love it. I love you. Explanation is unnecessary.” She stepped back a moment. “I also got you something. It's a bit less small, but you have me beat already anyway.”

 “I doubt it’s more expensive, you should have seen what the chocolate cost...”

 Stella pulled a medium-sized, velvet covered box from her bag. She lifted the lid, revealing a pendant in sterling silver. Two infinity symbols, one plain, one studded with amethysts, forged together. The whole thing was about two centimeters long, very delicate.

“Oh, wow...” Tanya sighed as she fingered the chain. Stella walked behind her, taking the pendant and lifting up her hair to put it on. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

 “You're welcome.”

 “Do we kiss now?”

 “I think we do.” Stella leant in, and this time it wasn't a peck. Long and slow, it made Tanya glad the kids were heavy sleepers. Fogged over with love and pleasure, it was like being underwater. Tongues pulsing in and out, never breaking contact with each other’s bodies except to breathe the same air, nose to nose.

 It ended suddenly, though, when Stella’s bag decided to tip over across the room. Among the spilled contents, a CD labeled _Rose Stagg Interview, 8/2/13_.

 “Happy Valentine’s Day."


End file.
